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A "Two-State Solution," Palestinian-Style

[Washington Post] Martin Indyk - All Palestinian leaders will continue to declare the indivisibility of the Palestinian homeland. But in private, Abbas and other Fatah leaders may take solace from the dilemma Hamas will now have to confront. Gaza's water, electricity and basic goods are imported from Israel, whose destruction Hamas has declared as its fundamental objective. Egypt turned a blind eye to the importation of weapons and money that helped ensure Hamas' takeover. But would Egypt allow on its border a failed terrorist state run by an affiliate of the Muslim Brotherhood with links to Iran and Hizbullah? Or will it insist on the maintenance of certain standards of order in return for its cooperation? In the West Bank, Abbas can depend on the Israel Defense Forces to suppress challenges from Hamas, and on Jordan and the U.S. to help rebuild his security forces. A failed terrorist state in Gaza is hardly what Secretary of State Rice had in mind for a legacy. Some will argue that it's time she talked to Hamas. But its thuggish, extraconstitutional behavior in Gaza and its commitment to the destruction of Israel make it an unlikely partner. The writer is director of the Saban Center for Middle East Policy at the Brookings Institution.
2007-06-15 01:00:00
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